SILSDEN PREVIEW

A replay in the FA Cup … it is a thing, you know!  And we will prove it on Tuesday night as we bring Silsden back to the Harry Williams Riverside Stadium after Saturday’s late equaliser saw us take a 1-1 draw from the original Preliminary Round tie in West Yorkshire.

MATCH: Ramsbottom United vs Silsden AFC
VENUE: Harry Williams Riverside Stadium, Ramsbottom, BL0 0BS
COMPETITION: North West Counties Premier Division
DATE: Tuesday 19th August 2025
KICK-OFF: 7:45pm
ADMISSION – ALL PAY: Adults – £9, Concessions – £5, U12 – £1 (with paying adult).
NOTE: We are a CASH ONLY stadium – there are NO CARD FACILTIES at the ground.

OVERVIEW:
FA Cup fever under the lights of the HWRS is here once again as we welcome Silsden back to our part of East Lancashire for the first time since March 2012 in the NWCFL Premier League – before the Yorkshiremen were moved across to the Northern Counties and, of course, we went on our NPL sojourn.

We welcome everyone who has made the trip across for our first home FA Cup replay since beating Thackley in 2022, who forced a replay with a 90th minute strike … sound familiar!  We would prevail in the rematch 2-0 with goals from Leon Creech and Tony Donaldson.  Would be nice if something similar happened again.

Silsden, who were promoted out of the Northern Counties East Division last year into the NPL East have had a tricky start to their new campaign, with one draw and a defeat from their two games thus far as they enter step four for the first time in their history.

As for the Rams, the unbeaten run continues.  It has been a little nerve shredding at times – all of our competitive games have had a single goal margin in victory and two 1-1 draws – but we are still in the hat for the FA Cup draw on Monday and one of three teams in NWCFL Premier with a zero in the defeats column, the others being league leaders Padiham and second placed Burscough.

There is a lot of football on the horizon, a lot of it at home as well (seven of our next nine games are at the HWRS and 12 of our next 17 up to November 4th), we would certainly like some additional in the FA Cup to add to the mix as we hunt a first visit to the 1st Qualifying Round for the first time since the dark, dark days of September 2020 when 371 strong headed to Mossley to get (a) a footy fix and (b) some fresh air in the Covid-19 ruined campaign.

FACILITIES
The game at Ramsbottom United will be by payment in CASH at the turnstile (the club does not have a card facility).  Prices are as shown above and programmes are £2.

Due to cricket and adjacent building works, parking for spectators should be away from the ground, in either town centre car parks (drivers are advised to check any time limits) or in the various side streets, all of which are no more than 5-10 minutes walk away but please be mindful of local residents and businesses.

Various bus routes come into Ramsbottom town centre (https://bustimes.org/localities/ramsbottom for details) and the East Lancs Railway (https://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/events-activities/western-region-weekend/) station is adjacent to the ground.

Tea Bar serving hot and cold drinks, pie and peas, sweets, crisps etc will be open within the ground, as will the Can Bar serving beer, lager and cider.

HISTORY
We offer a very warm welcome, for the first time in over 13 years, to one and all who are heading over from the other side of them there hills and joining us at the HWRS.

The Cobbydalers were regular opponents in the old NWCFL days since our first meeting in early September 2005 in Division 1 when Stephen McDonald’s double either side of half time gave the Rams a 2-0 win.  And the Rams would hold the sway for much of the early running, losing only once in the first seven meetings.

But the Yorkshiremen have definitely had the better of more recent clashes as the Rams have won just once in the last six going all the way back to 2010 when Lawrence Hunter’s 90th minute penalty sealed a 3-2 victory at the Riverside as Grant Shenton was sent off in what the match report from the game described as “controversial fashion” and Andy Dawson couldn’t stop the resultant spot kick.

The Rams’ victory in this time came on our way to the title as Robinson, Stopforth and Gaskell all netted on the way to a 3-0 victory in March 2012 and that was the last time we had met before the FA Vase clash last year and the FA Cup meeting this.

Overall, it is 6 wins each from the 16 games to date and the goal tally 25-22 to the Rams.

STEVE WILKES SAYS:
“It is great to have be able to bring the FA Cup tie back to ours after we battled back on Saturday to take the draw.

“I know that for much of the game, Silsden had the better of it but it showed the depth in the team to be able to stick at it and stay in the tie and we can be very proud of that.

“We have also continued to strength the squad as you would have seen that we have re-signed Sefton Gonzales again and also brought in Finlay Wallbank as well.  It’s a long season and to secure these two lads is excellent news for the club.”